TURKEY IS THE GUARANTEE OF REGIONAL PEACE AND STABILITY…!

It was emphasized that Turkey, stressing on every occasion that Iraq has to be disarmed, its territorial integrity has to be preserved and a democratic structure has to be established in which all the ethnic entities living in Iraq enjoy equal rights, does not have neither a hidden agenda on Northern Iraq nor a policy based upon the occupation of the region.

The Chief of General Staff General Hilmi Ozkok, in a press conference held on March 26, 2003, clearly put forward the Turkish policy on Iraq:

“Turkish Armed Forces are closely observing the developments, having made the necessary preparations against possible circumstances. There have been certain elements of the Turkish Army in Northern Iraq for a while. We may send additional troops into Northern Iraq, in case Turkish soldiers already in the region come under attack, Turkey is faced with a massive flood of refugees or the people in the region is exposed to any kind of attack. Our action will be in coordination with the United States and further necessary initiatives will be taken to avoid any misunderstanding. If the developments reach that point, we will not enter Northern Iraq to fight a war or to invade. We do not have any intention of establishing a permanent buffer zone

As has been the case in the past, once again, we will accord the greatest friendly support to the groups in Northern Iraq in thwarting possible instances of instability there in view of the unknowns of war. We will not engage in a hot clash, other than to exercise our right to defend ourselves. We do not have any hidden goals. We do not harbor any hostile feelings against anyone, and we will not do so in the future.

The manifestation of our peaceful efforts: military leaves have not been canceled, discharges have not been stopped, the duration of military service has not been extended, and there are no plans to propose a declaration of mobilization or martial law.

The suspicious, unjust, and at times offensive statements on the part of certain friendly and allied countries and institutions on this subject despite our full transparency deeply affect the Turkish people. I want to say that I find it difficult to understand why those who claim that there is a threat against them over the seas are not convinced by Turkey, which says that the same threat exists just across its border.

The developments pertaining to the operation have once again clearly demonstrated to everyone Turkey's geopolitical and strategic value and importance. We are an important and reliable country in the region. Resorting to modes of action that could overshadow these special characteristics of Turkey could eliminate Turkey's flexibility to contribute to regional security. If, one day, things get out of control, I hope that these friends will not be obliged to ask us to undertake the actions they are now objecting to.

This war is not our war, and this task is not our task. Very important political, economic, social, and military developments will take place in the Eurasia region stretching into the next decades. The question is how contemporary our country will become and what community of countries we will belong to in this geographic region, which will be restructured.

We cannot know how long the war will last, but acting on the basis of the teaching that everything must have a reserve other than love and wisdom, we have always acted under the guidance of the thoughts that war is full of unknowns and we must be prepared for any eventuality, and we have made our preparations accordingly.

The territorial integrity of Iraq must be preserved and the oil resources must belong to the entire Iraqi people. Iraq should be disarmed in a way that will not eliminate its means of self-defense. It is our greatest desire that at the end of this operation Iraq becomes an honorable member of the free and democratic world with its national integrity, that it purges its country from terrorist elements that pose a threat to neighboring countries, and that the Iraqi people attain the level of security and prosperity they deserve.”

“The approach of Turkey regarding Northern Iraq is a very welcome step,” said Hoshyar Zebari, the Foreign Relations Representative of the IKDP, in a press release commenting on the Chief of General Staff General Hilmi Ozkok. “Our relations with Turkey will be maintained today, as in the past. Turkey is an important and reliable country of the region,” said Zebari. “Setting the Turkish flag on fire during the demonstrations in Northern Iraq could not be accepted,” said Berham Salih, an official of the PUK.  “Those who set the flag on fire made this insult to Kurds, not to Turkey. Turkey greatly helped protection of security and peace in Northern Iraq in the past 10 years. We share the sensitivity of Turkey on the struggle against terrorism and migration. We always had positive relations with Turkey and Turkmens, and we will in the future,” said Salih.